Nightmare Revisited
by thegrimbee
Summary: Why is it called Nightmare Revisited? Well read to find out. Starscream/Arcee
1. To Which Starscream Abducts Arcee

**Inspired by the song "This Is Halloween" from The Nightmare Before Christmas. Why is it called Nightmare Revisited? The term _Nightmare Revisited_ comes from the song "This is Halloween" from _Nightmare Before Christmas_, which is resung in a separate album quoted as said title. Though I don't really like the singer, I did like the remix of the song. It's also to show that whatever imagined nightmare Arcee has towards the Decepticons, it will of course be revisited once she actually gets to know them. Writing summaries suck, so just enjoy the damn fanfic.**

The moment those sharp claws struck her side, Arcee saw white as she staggered backwards in pain, the cold, blue energon dripping down her side in streams and the psychotic laugh of the Seeker stalking towards her ringing within her audios.

"Something wrong, Arcee? I thought you wanted a fight," Starscream smiled as he flexed his servos.

Arcee heaved and hoisted herself back up onto her feet, but as she clenched her injured side, Starscream began to deliver several hits that only gave her more pain to her newly injury. It happened so fast, the fight flashing before her weary mind due to the energon loss.

"You're tougher to scrap than your former partner, at least the one I scrapped. Was Tailgate weak like Cliffjumper?"

"Just keep talking, Starscream," Arcee managed to say as she struck out at the taunting flyer only to be replied with yet another punch.

The distant memories of her partners caused her to choke with sadness. She remembered Tailgate back on Cybertron, when they would go into battle together and how he would lead her through tough spots by communication links. Then Cliffjumper, the one whom helped her be brought here to Earth. She remembered the fun they would have together despite the many boring patrols around the organic planet they had to endure. The motorcyclist was so lost before those golden memories that she soon found herself on the ground after being kneed in the stomach, jabbed in the back, and then kicked to the ground, sliding down the dirt slope away from where Optimus's trailer sat. She placed a servo below her, slowly attempting to lift herself back up to face the Seeker once more with all of her strength.

"You should've finished me when I was helpless to fight, just like I finished Cliffjumper!" Starscream stated as he walked after her fallen form. Arcee groaned, her final moment to fight with what was left of her energy, but the gloating was too much for her anger that it actually made her even weaker. She was as he had said before, helpless.

While Arcee laid stomach down in great pain, the Decepticon Commander couldn't help the very delight that entered his dark spark, how good it was to see this strong femme appear as though she were bowing to him. Yet, another feeling suddenly crept up on him. It was something he hadn't felt in ages, possibly before the war broke out and affected the planet he had once called home sweet home. It was now so foreign to him that it actually made Starscream angry at himself for bearing such an emotion. He shook his helm, in hope of being cleared of it.

"Now, prepare to be reunited with your partners!" Starscream smiled gleefully whilst crossing his claws as true weaponry.

The smile grew bigger as Arcee began to shrink back in even more pain, the energon coming out more like waterfalls now. Soon, she fully collapsed. Her body's gears and systems could be heard as she powered down into a stasis. Starscream's helm tilted to the side, just like a confused puppy, and circled her. Tapping her with the tip of his foot, his shoulders slumped when not even a painful moan came out. Now what was he to do?

He could hear in the distance the sound of an activated weapon, Airachnid's maniacal laughter. A shudder went down his spine. His attention flipped back over to Arcee, and the same exact feeling crept up on him as though purposely.

"..Why does this feeling come to me when I look at you?" Starscream asked aloud to the unconscious Arcee. "What are you? Some secret succubus who preys upon mechs like me? Then again, I admit I am stunning. Which brings me to the belief why you don't come running to fawn over me? All of the femmes back on Cybertron did, when I was commander of my fleet. I signed autographs, kissed sparklings, took pictures with my fans. I lived in a life of luxury. But not the luxury I intended. I wanted more, a greater power. Megatron had that power, so I planned to take it away and make it my own. But what was the point, if I could only just be named Prime myself? Can't you imagine that? Starscream Prime? No, Solar Prime! Because, you know, Star and Sun mean the exact same thing, but how could you not know that?" Starscream tilted his helm more, examining Arcee's beauty like it was the first time.

"..You are an exquisite one, aren't you? I remember you back on Cybertron. So beautiful.."

His short talk ended when he heard a blast and the dreadful scream of a "No!" Then there was the motor of a helicopter, and high in the sky went the spider, fleeing for her life. Typical glitch.

"Hmph, looks like my job here is done," Starscream said as he still spoke to the silent Autobot. Beneath her, a blue puddle of energon formed and it was getting bigger. His face transformed from a dark sneer to a sympathetic look, surprisingly. Maybe it was the words that were spoken that helped clear his jumbled processor, maybe it was the moment that he knew he finally overpowered someone, yet when he stared at the half-dead Arcee, he felt sorry for her. Because he knew what it was like to be overpowered by his most hated enemy.

"..Dear primus..," he groaned. "This is Commander Starscream, I am in need of a groundbridge! Do you read me?"

"Read you loud and clear, sir!" a drone said. "Your coordinates have been logged in, prepare for pick up!"

When the green and bluish vortex opened up, Starscream instantly knew what was to come in the near future. Just as he was about to enter the swirling transport, his helm suddenly turned back to Arcee. She laid still, and the puddle grew outwards more and more by the nanoklik. That same, annoying feeling came back to him.

* * *

After hours of not hearing word from neither Airachnid nor Starscream, Megatron quickly assumed that the mission hadn't gone as successfully as planned. It was obvious that the ancient Cybertronian relic, the Immobilizer, was now in the hands of the Autobots and the that two Commanders had to be running for their useless lives. But why would it matter? They were to lose their sparks anways if they dared to step foot back on his ship. Megatron wondered if showing Starscream mercy back at the mine was a mistake, for though the Seeker was troublesome and irritated him very, there would be no point in terminating another Decepticon if it meant loosing yet another branch of the Decepticon tree. Many loyal soldiers of his died in the war back on Cybertron and throughout other parts of the universe. The only ones left had been known to be the bottom feeders, rookies, or rouges that had fled their planet out of fear. Only to be brought back home that was the _Nemesis_.

A gust of wind crept up his spine, indicating that the automatic doors leading to the room had opened, and the familiar echo of failure that rang in his audios enraged Megatron to snarl. "You came to me empty handed, didn't you?" he turned out of fury and prepared his cannon, but a second caught him on time once his optics laid on a surprise he might never forget.

Starscream stood before him, wings held together in a clamp, and in his arms was one of Optimus's warriors, Arcee.

"Starscream, what is the meaning of this?" Megatron glared, he came closer in case his aged optics were fooling him, but of course they weren't for the femme continued to be realistic and limp.

"..Th-the Autobots had caused the failure of our mission, my lord!" Starscream replied quickly. "At the beginning, they had captured me for a brief time before I was able to free myself. Airachnid, on the other hand, left me behind while she had gone to retrieve...w-whatever you sent us searching for. But by the looks of it, that creature had lost to them and flew off, probably to come back here." His grip tightened against Arcee. One servo was placed beneath her thigh, while the other supported her back and her helm was placed on his chest. He took a quick glance at her, and all he could see was the soft expression of her sleeping face. She looked so peaceful. Energon still dribbled from her side and down his arm, spilling onto the floor. Megatron noticed this too.

"And yet you were the one to bring back something worthwhile," Megatron chuckled darkly, that even the drones around them cowered. "Well done, Starscream, seems to me that you are improving your reputation with the cause. But that still doesn't mean I trust you again. I know better, and when lessons are learned, faults are never nearby."

"..You are quite correct," Starscream said, his helm lowering. Though it sounded as though his leader was a bit proud of his small victory, it made him feel embarrassed, and that was appointed. On the large screen, what was normally the main window that viewed ahead of the _Nemesis_, schematics in Cybertronian text were all over, glinting off the armors of every other living being in place.

"You shall place her in the brig where she is to stay until a plan will be placed," Megatron was about to turn.

"NO!" Starscream blurted out, and it was so loud that his own protoform jumped beneath his armor. Megatron's helm whipped back at him, and his glare was even stronger.

"No? Is that what you just said? No!" Megatron snarled.

"I-I mean, I, uh...I suggest she should stay in my quarters," Starscream smiled crookedly to cover up his mistake. "I don't trust the drones around here. She would be much safer and more supervised if she stayed with me.."

"Don't trust the drones? Like how I don't trust you? Please, Starscream, she is already defenseless as it is, and I can imagine many conclusions someone like you would do with a femme like that..," this came out like a hiss filled with thick venom, the victim could be squirming in pain and wishing for death instantly. Starscream knew how this venom felt, when luck refused to be on his side. Yet when was luck ever on his side?

"Lord Megatron, I am much more responsible than that! Believe me," Starscream held Arcee closer, afraid she would disintegrate into the thin air and leave him in the dark room to keep making excuses from being beatened.

"..Don't tell me you have an actual interest in this wretched Autobot?" Megatron gestured to her.

When the commanding officer went quiet and he stared at the femme in his twig-like arms, a booming laughter rang about the corridor.

"HAHAHA! Who knew, the _incompetent_ Starscream, was smitten for an Autobot, who beats mechs larger than her own size!" the old gladiator laughed some more and the drones soon chimed in, more amused that their leader had used the same word that was once accounted to describe them.

"I'm not _in love_ with her!" Starscream snapped. "The interest I have on her involves-well, scientific use!"

"Scientific?" Knock Out came in, after hearing the commotion from the next room. In his servos was a welder and his buzz saw. "How could she be involved with science? Dear Primus, Starscream, was your processor bumped out of place? If Arcee was made for science, she wouldn't have picked pink rims with blue paint!" Megatron could be heard scoffing at the medic's poor judgment.

Meanwhile Starscream had no answer to Knock Out's question. So he went on despite looking like a lunatic to everyone. "I was hoping we could examine her. She has to be the smallest Cybertronian on this planet, and yet can withstand all of our drones no matter how many there are! She can survive explosions, the cold, energon loss, and even when I beat the scrap out of her she continues to thrive! Something within Arcee allows her to continue on. And with that knowledge, we may be able to insert it into ourselves, making us almost invulnerable to everything the Autobots may throw at us!" As he stared at them all, one of his claws was secretly stroking the back of her smooth helm.

"...Am I the only one hearing this bullshit?" a drone suddenly asked, scratching at the side of his helm. The human term was unnecessary, but yes that was the appropriate term to say.

"...I think what you may be thinking of Starscream is hope," Knock Out chuckled. "Hope can only be found in the spark and clearly that's what she lives off of. Not from some organ or drug. I thought you were smarter than that! And isn't it our job to shatter it?"

"Obviously. But I believe what Starscream is trying to say here," Megatron began, "is that Arcee is more than she appears. And he is quite correct. She poses a great threat to everyone in this room including, dare I say, myself." He went forth to the large computer behind him. "Before we had left Cybertron, the reason why we had managed to achieve the upper hand of the war was because every Decepticon was properly trained by the bravest gladiators I have ever known. They fought bravely and offlined every single Autobot successfully within even nanoseconds. I'm proud to say I was honored to fight with them. But, now deceased, the secrets from the Gladiatorial Arena of Kaon have died along with them. I may be the last gladiator to still hold these secrets, but even I cannot tell every detail I know, seeing as I have traitors at my side." He glared at the Seeker, who cowered and even tried to hide behind Arcee. "...Do any of you recall the Data Cylinders?"

"Y-yes, sir. They held knowledge of the Cybertronian society," Knock Out answered. "But sadly, were sent across galaxies out of our reaches."

"Exactly. I know more about Arcee than her own team does, and trust me, we are closer than any of you think."

"But what does she have to do with the cylinders?" Starscream wondered. "Does she have some sort of map stored in her processor on their locations?"

"No. But she does hold certain knowledge I am willing to keep her for. So congratulations, Starcream, it seems you _can_ keep her in your quarters. But first, place her in the medical facility, and don't do anything idiotic to harm her! Or you'll be answering to me, as always.."

"Uh, sir."

"You both are now dismissed," Megatron shooed them with a servo. Knock Out left willingly and powered his tools back up. Starscream turned to leave, but a question still left him to ponder.

"..Lord Megatron, what sort of knowledge do you suppose she holds?" he asked from over his shoulder.

Megatron didn't turn to face him again, but instead he placed his servos on the computer's screen-like keyboards and typed. The schematics disappeared quickly and soon a picture was brought up of a large mech. This mech was old, so old that he might as well had been one of the 13 Primes. The Vehicons were clueless towards the mech as their leader and commander gazed up at him. Only because these Vehicons weren't around when Cybertron had fallen.

When this mech had appeared, Starscream needed no further questioning. Instead he nodded and left without another word. It was a good thing he did, otherwise the gray F-16 would've actually seen Megatron's time of weakness when his back hunched down a bit and his optics closed.

* * *

**Haven't been around FFnet lately, so I'm not as sure if someone thought of the same plotline or idea. I'm sorry if it sounds the same, but I just want to make on Starcee story that is about ARCEE getting captured and not Starscream. I already written down the entire plot, so chapters will be updated more frequently! So Please do Review if continuation is necessary :)**


	2. To Which Arcee Awakens

**BTW, in the first chapter when Starscream was mentioning about him being a Prime, he actually considered being on in the book _EXODUS. _GO READ IT NOW!**

Knock Out guided Starscream to place Arcee on the steel medical berth, the same berth that was used to hold Megatron when he had been in stasis lock, and the same one that Starscream used when he had his normal abuse. The room was well-secured, filled with the highest possible security tech on the entire ship and contained all the needed tools not even the Autobots possessed.

The Seeker was a bit skeptical in placing the two-wheeler here, but Knock Out insisted she would be safe as long as they safely paralyzed her before she'd come back online, so that way she wouldn't tear out their optics when she did. Once laying her limp body on to the metallic platform, steel bindings suddenly popped up and clamped firmly down on both her wrists, ankles, and midsection. "What the-?" Starscream looked at the medic.

"Just to be sure," Knock Out shrugged. "Like you said, she's a strong one for a bot her size."

"Right..," Starscream glanced back at Arcee, her breathing appearing more calm and soothing. He watched as Knock Out patched up her bleeding side, welding back the risen metal thanks to the Air Commander's sharp claws.

"..So, uh, what do you think Megatron has in store for Arcee?" Knock Out asked, trying to make conversation while the taller mech hovered over him.

"Personal reasons," Starscream answered. "But I can't say more for now, not until the plan has fully developed in his poor old processor unit of his." He glanced around just in case Megatron or Soundwave were nearby in any way.

"Why? Was she some sort of girlfriend of his?" Knock Out laughed out. "Let me guess, she's the one that got away?"

However, what appeared to be a simple joke to the medic was yet another one's horror.

Starscream grew angry, the image of Arcee with that big, dumb brute caused his entire body to tense up up and his wings to shoot out in a defensive state. It was the same way an average bird would do if his or her territory was threaten by another. The red sports car was obliviant to this as he continued to chuckle, wiping a quick tear from his cheek.

* * *

When Arcee woke up, she was drowsy. When she had gained back her eyesight from a blurry one, looking up to meet the gazes of a bored looking Knock Out and a curious Starscream, then realizing her current location and position, she screamed.

Her body thrashed in a frantic way that it would be assumed she was possessed by Unicron, the binds getting a good grip on her that chips of her blue paint began to fly off. Knock Out was watching this in complete disgust, his stomach wretching at the sight of the loose color fleeing all around.

"I thought you said you were going to paralyze her!" Starscream shouted over her screaming.

"I-I did! I guess I increased her voice level instead!"

"W-what kind of medic are you to make such an idiotic mistake!"

Starscream dove in quickly, clamping his claws around her mouth to keep her quiet and to muffle out her screams. But that didn't stop Arcee as she continued to scream out her loudest volume and arched her back high up it should've snapped. She glared daggers at the silver Seeker and he glared at her right back, but in his way it was an attempt to mentally tell her to be quiet since if he said it vocally it wouldn't have been heard.

"Just shut her up, already!" Knock Out gagged, still sickened by the fleeing paint and now the slight scratching of metal.

"If you're that nauseous about this foolishness then get out!" Starscream ordered. Knock Out didn't even dare to defer and ran out like a red bullet. Once he was gone, Starscream released Arcee, whom gasped after nearly causing her voicebox to explode.

"What-what have you done? What am I doing here!" she snarled as spit flew out from her rage.

"If you manage to calm yourself down, I will explain. If not, then I'll allow you to imagine what ideas we have planned for you. They'll probably never match up to the actual arrangements..," Starscream said, but what came out were all simple lies, for it was obvious that even he didn't fully know.

Arcee heaved and tried to free herself again with her ballistic flails and her violent wiggling. The lights above shined down on her with such intensity it gave her a piercing helm ache when added to the stress that built up. With her energy ceasing to exist because of her dramatic performance, the blue motorcycle finally gave in and slumped in her bondages.

Starscream watched her carefully and saw it as an 'okay' to finally speak.

"Some show you put on."

"...," Arcee squinted one optic whilst the other gave him the evil eye.

"You know, for such a strong-willed femme, you sure do throw tantrums that only a megacyle aged sparkling would commit," Starscream teased, his usual smirk creeping up as he circled Arcee. She tried to watch him as he went, but when he walked behind the medical berth her neck ached from the strain. She knew clearly to never turn your back to a Decepticon, a well-known theory that even the Cons themselves knew, for Starscream had stopped walking momentarily just in time for Arcee to turn her neck the other way in a flash, then walk again.

"Please, lets not talk about how much more mature either one of us is, because let's face it, Screamer, you'll never win that battle," her sarcastic attitude rising back to life.

"Hmm, just like how I won the battle back at the stones?"

The memories of the fight came back like a flood and Arcee's optics glowered at him. "You shut your trap!"

"And to believe you actually thought I wanted to _join_ the Autobots! Seriously? _The Autobots!_ Of all things!" Starscream cackled.

"Yeah? Well it sure sounded as though you meant it back there," Arcee said. "But who could tell."

"Stellar cycles of practice," he twirled a servo as though he were a true professional. "When you're stuck in such situations like that, you must always have a back up plan to make it out alive. Such as with you and your gullible team."

"No need to rub it in my faceplates," she said. "..So, aside from just how I was captured, I'm guessing the reason I'm really here is because your scraphead of a master wants some intel about the Autobots. A bit too obvious, don't you think? But if you do know the real me, you should know I always put up a strong fight."

"Eh, intel, yes, but if I must admit, I don't exactly know his plans. He refuses to tell me anything ever since he downgraded me from my post.."

"He demoted you, huh? Well, if that wasn't expected, I don't know what is."

"Oh yes, the surprise is breathtaking..," Starscream sighed, standing a bit closer to where her helm rested. "But the numbers of the least expected are quite more interesting than the things that go through Breakdown's mind."

"Uh huh..So why are you really here, then? Interrogation? Hoping I would let something slip and you would run off to tell Megatron and be given back your medal again?"

"No, me being here was my own descision-for once. I couldn't help but wait for your expression when you awoke here in the same place I laid whenever I got a beating. But look whos on the receiving end now. However, this isn't the first time this has happened, yes?" Starscream leaned.

Arcee growled, remembering when she had first arrived to Earth with the once alive and quirky Cliffjumper. They had just escaped from Cybertron through a spacebridge meant to be used by the Decepticons in order to reunite with their dark leader. Luckily, they destroyed the whole thing before entering the portal, which closed forever. But unknown to the both of them, Starscream trailed behind and followed their movements to where he fired upon them, all in their newly Earth modes. Cliffjumper was alright, yet as for Arcee she suffered greater damages that it was unbelievable as to how she could still lift up her remaining arm and continue firing.*****

"As I remember it, it was my former partner who nearly silenced your spark beats..," Arcee snapped.

"And the one time he actually defeated me in the heat of the battle. Payback is sweet, isn't it...?"

"You SICK FRAGGER!" Arcee screamed, and once again began to struggle within the bondage that held her. Starscream leaped back in time before he could've gotten into the line of fire. But the one thing he couldn't dodge was when Arcee leaned up herself and spat in his face. Her fluids dripped from his chin in clear drops, earning her a small smile. Starscream growled disgustingly and wiped it off quickly.

"Tsk, tsk, that's no way to treat your new roommate, now is it?"

She froze and gave him a quizzical look. "R-roommate? What are you talking about?"

"Well, because I don't exactly trust everyone on this ship just the same as they don't trust me, I took it as my responsibility to keep you safe by sharing my quarters and sleeping area. That also doesn't mean for you to try _anything _on me," Starscream felt his pride come back when Arcee gave him a revolted look. "I rather rot in a cramped prison than share a berth with you!" she cried.

"Fine, sleep on the floor if that's what you wish, but either way you'll still remain with me. Would you care for the drones to disgrace your body instead? They're such hardworkers, and for them to be given such a fine femme will probably be the best thing they'll ever experience in their short lives." Starscream knew they were already listening as well for it was obvious that the ones working outside the medical area were already peeking in through the windows, in hope that what their commander spoke of might actually happen. Their lustful visors nearly choked Arcee.

"..Whatever," she heaved, looking away sharply so the Seeker wouldn't have to see her near to tears.

Starscream had already known but he knew his business was done here. That feeling was already coming to form a lump in his throat and had to get out of the room quickly before it grew to the point where Arcee could see it. "I'll..see you tonight then." He turned and left, then roared at the drones to get back to work. Knock Out came in shortly, yet for some odd reason his helm was turned to the side so he didn't have to look at Arcee. She could hear him take in deep breaths as he actually did face her, reaching down to lower her volume.

"Uuugh, why would you ever do this to your paint? Sickening," he whispered to himself. Arcee glared and snapped her denta at him. Knock Out nearly lept out of his armor, scowled, and finally paralyzed her.

* * *

Not long after Knock Out was done examining her, Arcee was "lounging" where she laid, lazily gazing up at the ceiling and sometimes staring at her own statistics that shown on the huge monitor. The doors opened in a _Whoosh! _and expected it to be the medic or Starscream coming back for round 2. To her dismay, a shadow overcasted her smaller form and there stood the massive giant that was Megatron.

"Oh great, what do you want?" she said without even rethinking what she had just said. But then again this was Arcee.

"I only came to check on how our guest was handling the arrangements," his ragged voice came out smooth in attempt to try sounding sympathetic.

"If you mean allowing myself to actually share the same living quarters of my friend's murderer, then sure, I'm handling quite swell," Arcee said that all through gritted denta, a sharp migraine forming because of such stress. "It's not like I have anything better to do on this scrapyard."

"I'm glad to hear your compliments. Guests who stay at the Nemesis Hotel are always treated like royalty, even if they do act like complete nuisances," Megatron bowed sarcastically. Arcee huffed, shaking her helm to the side as she rolled her optics in such a large sassy way. "Or at least don't even have manners of their own.."

"Please. Do the rest of you always need to make things ever so complicated?" Arcee asked.

"If we need to squeeze answers from those who die later," how obvious it was that those words foreshadowed a future event. But to Arcee they were hollow, a white lie if recommended but not as close to one, more of a coverup to show that even the farthest of audios could still hear. Also referring to the all knowing Soundwave.

But what caused her to not process this as quickly made her clueless. "So you're just going to kill me later, hm? Then where will this _plan_ go?"

"No need to fret, we have a lot more ideas starring you, and it will be in time when the moment is right to actually send your spark back to the well."

"You're so anxious to have me gone."

"Oh very. It will make conquering the Autobots a lot more quickly and easily," Megatron's fist repeatedly clenched at his side. "When you're released, I don't wish to hear anything from you as you're escorted to the room. You being here fuels my anger and it is taking a worthwhile for me to hold myself back. I ordered Starscream to keep a tight leash on you, so any sort of action you cause to either ruin my ship, my soldiers, or my methods, you will be served a punishment."

"Whatever you say, buckethead," Arcee felt her pride swell back up when she saw Megatron show his teeth at such a nickname.

* * *

**AAUUUUUGGGHH I hate this chapter_. _Wish I wrote more though. It was pretty difficult since I was busy this summer and whenever I went back to writing it I would forget where I had left off. So much of this chapter doesn't make much sense or incredibly cheesy or has _horrible _grammar. Sorry!**

**The '*' at the end of a certain sentence if anyone was paying attention is an indication mark to something that actually happened in TFPrime universe, for those have not known about it yet. The story with Arcee, Cliffjumper, and Starscream was real and it was a teeny tiny comic. I hated to explain it for those who've read it, but I needed to get others who haven't more into the story.**


	3. In Which Arcee Sleeps with a Seeker

**Reuploaded because of some weird issues.**

Once she was finally released from Knock Out's domain, Arcee trudged behind Starscream to his next, crossing her arms over her chest as a small cope and lowering her helm when a much larger Con viewed her from his height. Many drones watched the two walk out of each corridor, as though waiting for her to make the wrong move so they could raise their weaponry at her. Starscream acted as though he took no such notice of it all. Once they've reached to what appeared like the very end of the ship, Starscream stopped, "We're here."

Typing in a password, the doors opened and Starscream walked in first before Arcee went in cautiously. The whole room was a lot smaller than she expected for a high commander. There were no windows, a dim purple light was all there was to the wall they faced coming in. The berth was small enough to hold two Cybertronians if they touched either one's shoulders when laid out. A bunch of cabinets clumped into one side and then many shelves attached to most of the other walls. "It was originally the storage for medical usage, such as spare parts and tools. After being bumped down a rank, I also had to give up my living quarters to that wretched spider!" he hissed.

"Speaking of that groundfeeder, where is she?" Arcee asked.

"Heaven knows, or most likely the Pit does. She scurried off after your team beaten her for the right of The Immobilizer, so I'm told," Starscream said. "I hope she takes her time coming back, but then again I won't get to see Lord Megatron beat someone else to death other than myself."

Arcee didn't speak, her spark sinking as she imagined her team's attempts to find her and bring her back home. What would Jack do without her? Who would be there to guard him at night, pick him up at school? Obviously Ratchet, or maybe even Optimus. Then again, what would others think if he was suddenly picked up by a semi truck? Would make perfect sense by Ambulance.

"You must be exhausted," Starscream patted the berth with his claws. "Go ahead, rest those optics of yours."

"Why should I?" she growled in a raspy voice.

"Because I don't want you to randomly collapse out of lack of recharge!"

"I'm more vulnerable in my sleep than awake."

"Says you," Starscream decided to lay on the berth himself just to prove to her it wasn't as dangerous as she thought. He put out his arms. "See?"

Arcee scoffed. She instead began to examine more of the room. Every now and then she'll spot certain items that appeared rather strange like a vehicon's wing or arm shoved in the corner, and a beat up miniature computer-must have been centuries old since she'd never seen one unless it was in a historical file. Like around the Age of the Primes or however old Ratchet must've been.

"Why can't I just sleep in the medbay? Even where ever you keep your prisoners is better than this."

"Is it really hard to show how nice I can be...sometimes?" Starscream sighed. "Look, I understand where I'm at in your view right now, but if you are to survive the Nemesis and walk out alive, I sincerely believe you should place all your trust with me. I can help you get out of tight jams like, for example, if you pick a fight with the other Cons. You're one of Optimus Prime's most loyal followers, and I know about the majority of this flying scrapmetal will want to beat the life out of you."

"It would be better than sleeping side-by-side with-"

"YES, me, I think I understand that clearly, two-wheeler, but at the moment does it matter? You're here, I'm here, you're in my quarters, the one haven you can possibly have that isn't the medical bay!" Starscream stood up and walked towards her with a burning gaze of hatred and annoyance. "Face it, Arcee, you're stuck here. You won't be able to leave unless you give that bumbling brute out there what he needs! Since I have no clue in what his actions will be, all I can say is that you might as well make it home here!"

She felt like she was being scolded as a sparkling by an incredibly childish adult. But to her dismay Starscream was right. Both Primus and The Pit knew just how long she'll be here, how much farther it will be from her friends. There will be a chance the Cons may even leave Earth all together, though it would be a happy ending to the Bots and humans, she wouldn't even have gotten to say good-bye to her team, to her partner, Jack.

Arcee let out a shuddering sigh and looked up at Starscream with misty optics. "...Alright."

Starscream produced an accepting smile. "Good..If you'd like..I'll sleep on the floor tonight, and you may take the berth. You're a guest here, and guests must be treated as properly as can be."

"...Thank-you..," she said in her most quiet voice. What choice did she have to not say so?

* * *

Knock Out had played with his tools, bored out of his mind whilst Breakdown was too busy throwing an empty cube of energon into the air and batting at it like a cat. The doors to the medical bay opened once more, both expecting it to be a dismantled drone, only for it to reveal Lord Megatron. The two quickly exited their small routine and stood up, back straight, helm head high, and arms to the side.

"G-greetings, my lord!" Knock Out smiled.

"Cut the scrap, Knock Out, have you examined Arcee thoroughly and carefully?" Megatron leaned in closer to the smaller mech to where their foreheads nearly touched.

"Y-yes, yes, I did!" he ran over to the large monitor and logged into the saved file that shown the very body format that was the female Autobot. The body circulated slowly, showing every little detail from what was Arcee's functioning unit. But this wasn't what Megatron needed so far.

"Her CNA, I need it directly from her spark chamber," he stated.

"You make me do a body scan, and all you need is her-!" Knock out would've started his rant about just how psychotic the Autobot was with him if Megatron hadn't made a grab for his head and pulled him up high into the air, to where he hung over his and Breakdown's heads.

"Her body scan was only the beginning, you pompous rust eater! I need her CNA as the second part, and not just any CNA you can receive from just anywhere on her body. The spark chamber contains the strongest. Do not underestimate my orders, Knock Out!"

"O-of c-cou-course!" Knock Out stuttered, feeling his lord's grip growing tighter and tighter. Megatron gave him a disgusted sneered and dropped him, a loud thud echoing the room. Knock Out coughed, grasping his sore helm, and peered back up at him with fearful optics.

"..If you don't mind me asking, my lord, what's so special about Arcee?" Breakdown asked which gave him a stern look but that was when Megatron finally let out a calming sigh.

"She's just...she's just a very special _essential_ part of my plan. I cannot speak further of this," Megatron went to leave but Breakdown blocked him. This took a lot of courage for the brute, because it all vanished when he felt his leader's furious glare burning into his processor and started to fumble with his servos. Knock Out took a good look at his partner before quickly looking away, believing it would be the last sight of him to ever be alive.

"C-could you at least tell us? Truthfully it's not my place to ask for more out of you, but if you told us-"

"It is not against my will! If it is of no importance to any of you, than what what would be the use to allow such information to flow through one audio receptor and out the next! It would be a waste of my breath and a waste to use more of whatever intelligence you have left! Step aside, Breakdown, if you value your life!"

Breakdown did so and didn't dare watch his master leave in a huff.

"...Dumb Exhaust Port," Knock Out threw a wrench at him.

* * *

When did she go to sleep? How long had she been in such a deep recharge? Why had the berth suddenly become so warm? Why did she suddenly feel so at peace, without always waking up each day since Arcee had been on Earth feeling so tense? Was it because she now had no other reason to feel like that again? Was it because her worst fears have already been experienced and so forth no point? Or maybe it was because there was finally someone to show her that there was nothing to be scared of this morning...?

Or maybe it was the fact that something was squishing her into the berth, a sort of fluid dripping down her cheek, and an agonizing sound that just made her want to rip the source of it apart with her own denta.

Arcee groaned, her face so squished her lips were pursed. The source that made this so was dark in her line of vision, and was even warm. Her anger was soothed by this warmth, not just the temperature but just the sudden feeling of finally being held. This was interrupted by a snore.

"Frimuth!" she tried to hiss. She wasn't being held, she was being _laid on_. Starscream's arm was the reason why her face was so disorted as it drapped across her helm while his head rested on top of it. A string of drool plopped onto her cheek and left a slithering trail to form a puddle beneath her chin. The lowest part of his body suddenly bonked into her, causing him to release multiple grunts as though in a struggle, then got back to his snoring. She couldn't shake him off because he was practically pinning her to the platform. For such a skinny mech he sure was heavy and so forth was stuck there for who knows how long.

"Why meh?" Arcee asked, optics trying to meet with the ceiling. "Outta all da oders, why hem?"

There was a startling snort and then a groan. Finally the Seeker was waking up.

"GIT OFFFA ME!"

"ARCEE?!" Starscream leapt off of her, his string of drool flying in midair and splattering all over her face. Arcee snarled, bolting up the moment she was freed and lunged towards him, right fist pulling back in preparation for impact. It was as though time froze. Starscream's panicked expression churning slowly into a wince as he too readied for her unexpected strength to damage his face. Arcee's battle cry came out in slow motion, like a forever moan. She would've finished it if it weren't for a ball of sparking electricity suddenly burst into her side and send her flying into the wall, her back creating a sickening crack that echoed everywhere.

Up so high on the wall, Arcee fell ontop of a few shelves before she landed with a loud thump a moment after a separate thump sounded not too close to her.

"You idiot!" Starscream's voice shrieked in the air. Arcee was stunned, time soon returning at a regular pace as her body started to react in jolts after being electrocuted. She couldn't speak besides her voice box letting out sudden stutters. Her optics literally shaking in their sockets as she tried her best to keep focus.

Starscream finally came into her view. His face was surprisingly concerned as he tried to touch her gently, only to be shocked. He growled and glared up.

"You idiot, you fragging idiot! You didn't have to use that thing on her, as much as it was a mere accident, she had the right to strike me!"

"I'm the idiot? You're allowing her to hit you?!" Of course it was Knock Out, who else contained the power of electricity within a staff?

"She's our guest! As much as it is confusing as how she must be treated like one, we must obey our master's orders!"

"Oh, so NOW you want to listen to him! But why not, if it involves a pretty little femme, who gets to sleep in your berth, follow you wherever you go, and must do whatever you say!"

Starscream roared, lunged forward, and began to attack the crazed medic by slashing his long claws at his chest. Knock Out screamed-and she meant, _screamed _in peril, using his prod to block Starscream's attacks and away from his paint.

"What is going on over here?!" Megatron's voice boomed, giving Arcee's body an extra strong jolt. The floor itself shuddered in fear when his pedes stomped across it, his knee landing in a thud to kneel as she felt his cold servo roughly grab her helm and lift it up to make stern optical contact. Arcee's vision began to blur once again, everything acting like an illusion. When Megatron's face appeared, at least two more of him popped up.

"Knock Out, you should be careful next time when treating our guest such a way. Prepare your medical bay."

"Y-yes sir." Knock Out and Starscream gave each other disgusted sneers before the sportscar ran off and Starscream watched Megatron suddenly pick up Arcee, who let out a groan. Her back spasmed in a pain too great for her to handle. Starscream tensed, the emotion he had felt with Arcee in the beginning come back up, but alongside it another emotion that fueled his anger towards Megatron. He didn't know why it came back, he just knew that he hated the fact of Megatron _touching_ Arcee.

Megatron stared at Arcee for a little then suddenly gave murderous optics to the Seeker standing not too far away.

"I told you to keep her out of harms way," he said in a voice that just dripped with venom that might've been Unicron's.

Starscream didn't know how to say the rant he was planning in his processor as his voice box only let out a, "Ehheheh.."

Megatron didn't stop glaring at him until suddenly his servos moved swiftly to position Arcee's body in his arms. By having her face near his chest and her body twisted in an angle that appeared abnormal, he allowed himself to twist it the other direction and then be answered with another _CRACK! _from her. Arcee gasped loudly like she was receiving her first breath.

He roughly placed her back on her feet, which only made the Autobot femme fall to her knees and begin coughing.

"Th-the medical bay?" Starscream asked hesitantly.

"Only to get Knock Out out of here fast enough before I could kill him," Megatron continued to stare at Arcee before walking out. Once gone, Starscream rushed to Arcee and helped her up.

"Are..are you alright?" he asked. His tone, to Arcee, was surprisingly full of such concern. She should've felt safe, yet she didn't and shoved him away roughly. She used the nearby wall for support, resting her helm as she stared off to where Megatron had dissappeared. The pain was slowly going away and the fact at just what Megatron had just done, though helped, was irritating her greatly.

"I'm-I'm fine...just a surprise that's all...but I just didn't know..," Arcee coughed some more, "..he knew such a method."

"Method? What method!? The method to nearly breaking your back into more pieces than it was already? I'm surprised he managed to control his own strength and not just SNAP you in half!" and there it was, finally, Starscream's rant.

* * *

**Pfffffffff sorry this took so long! Maaayybeee I should've put a reminder that it would take a while before finally seeing serious Starcee action and that there would be a few hints of Megatron/Arcee, but not in a romantic way.**


End file.
